Persona: Distorted Clarity
by Komamura's son
Summary: Just as a small family of siblings settle into their new home in the Bay Area, news begins to come up about disasters that seem as just the folly of man. However, disaster leads one of the siblings to discover the true cause by pure accident. This discovery sealing his fate to fix and maintain balance for the world. (Original) Rated T for Dark themes, Adult situations and language.
1. Prologue

**It's finally here.**

 **I have had this idea boiling up in my head since... I believe nearly 8 to 9 months. And in that duration I have been researching, planning, designing, researching, crying, planning, redesignin-You get the point, a lot of heart went into making this thing happen. This entire story is mostly original, and the OCs in it are some I've used in various other stories I've written in the past and are expanded upon in this story. HOWEVER, no prior knowledge is needed to enjoy this story as a whole. The development to the characters in here and done solely for this story and this story alone. And to add on to that, to those that are fans of my work but don't know anything about Persona, please actually give this a read as you're not going to be alienated. You'll get to learn about things just as the characters do. Prior knowledge to Persona will only just give others a chance to gauge how strong/far the characters are in the story. With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the prologue.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Persona, however the plot and characters of this story are mine to take credit of.**

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A yawn escaped the young man's lips as he sat up in his bed. A hand came up to brush a few auburn colored locks out of his face as he rolled his shoulders to loosen the joints. Even after waking up from his sleep the man remain seated in his bed, waiting for his body to adjust to becoming active again.

"Just get up already, dammit." To most, hearing someone trying to rush their morning routine would be seen as both rude and irritating, but this was rather usual to him. Turning his head slightly, the young man gave a small smile.

"Good mornin' brother." Although the redhead was in a good mood his warm gesture was returned with a glare coupled with arms being crossed in disappointment.

"It's two in the afternoon," The brother unfolded his arms to rub his temples, it had always bothered him how easily his sibling could fall unconscious, and stay that way while he struggled to even get a wink of sleep. "If you're going to sleep in, at least let me know the night before!"

The redhead tilted his head slightly as he tried to find the reason as to why his younger brother was becoming so hostile. Normally he would have to do something worse than sleeping in a few hours to get both a death glare and scolding. Eventually the young man's palm met the side of his face as he realized what he had promised the other day.

"Shit, Ah'm sorry!" The raven haired boy sighed deeply as he tossed the redhead a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. The man struggled to fight his grogginess as he slipped the jeans on under the covers. Leaping up out of his bed, the older man dashed out of the room with his shirt slung over his shoulder. The redhead dashed across a hall, nearly crashing into the wall as he turned a corner to enter a bathroom.

After relieving himself, the man looked himself in the mirror for a moment. The white t-shirt still slung over his shoulder, barely concealing a large burn that ran from the top of his collarbone and down his back, just one of the many scars that laced his body. Ignoring his marks of stupidity and reckless abandon, the man began to run the water in the sink, cupping his hands to splash his face for a moment. As he did so, he swore he had caught a glimpse of something shimmering in the reflection of the mirror. Looking behind him, the man found nothing but the bland coloring of the bathroom. Rubbing his temple, the man began to question if he was seeing things.

Shaking it off, the young man carefully pulled his gray toothbrush from among others. Squeezing out a generous amount of toothpaste, the man began to brush his teeth. As he stared into the mirror again the redhead began to notice a dark blue butterfly fluttering behind him. Carefully turning his head, the man nearly ceased in all his functions as he could not spot the butterfly at all.

' _Gah… First a crazy dream, now Ahm seein' butterflies that ain't there…'_

Continuing on with his grooming, the man spat in the sink and slipped the t-shirt on. Checking himself in the mirror one more time, the man ran a hand through his messy red locks. There was no hope in taming his wild mane, so he saw no point in brushing his hair.

Returning back to their shared bedroom, the redhead slipped on a pair of socks as well as a pair of boots. He avoided the daggers that his younger brother glared at him while he fished for his keys in the dresser. After retrieving them from the controlled mess that was his dresser, the redhead motioned for the raven haired boy to follow him.

After turning the corner to head down the stairs, the redhead tripped halfway down and tumbled down the short flight of steps. Although the fall was rather painful, the redhead could do nothing but laugh as he lay sprawled on the ground. Even his younger brother shared in the laugh as he joined him on the first floor, the redhead's accidents were too common for anyone to take seriously anymore.

"Did Keith fall down the stairs again?" A voice called from the second floor. Both brothers responded with a simple yes. Said redhead began to stretch out his body as he picked himself off the floor, double checking for any bruises or injuries as he already knew that their eldest brother would question if anything was broken.

"Nothin' broken, Paul!" In a matter of seconds a brown haired man stood at the top of the stairs, an apathetic expression on his face as he crossed his arms. A sigh escaped his lips as he warned that the paramedics were no longer taking their calls. Keith shrugged his shoulders as he found that decision to be completely justified. Even he wouldn't want to put up with a single person that got injured as much as him.

Continuing on with their trip, the redhead began to make his way outside to the driveway. A large grin spread across his face as he admired the way his Charger looked in the sunlight, its simple solid black paint job shining wonderfully. Feeling a large smack against the back of his head, the redhead cursed under his breath as he opened the door to his car. As much as he wanted to give his younger brother a scolding for being impatient, it was his own fault for sleeping in.

As the redhead began to pull out of the driveway, his eyes fell upon a local child playing in the street. A small smile spread across his face as he recognize the young boy as their neighbor's child. The redhead chuckled in delight when the young boy waved in their direction, smiling widely in delight to see him. Keith almost didn't want to drive away, but he had already done enough to anger his little brother.

"Y'know, yew could have woken me up earlier 'stead of waitin'." The redhead pointed out as he drove out of their neighborhood. Just as they turned a corner, the raven-haired young sighed deeply.

"Last time I tried that you kicked me in the face," Before the redhead could both apologize and explain himself, his brother continued. "And another time before that you put me into a guillotine hold. And let's not forget that sleepwalking inci-"

"Ah get it, yew can stop now, Roy..." A small annoyed sigh left the redhead's lips, being reminded of those small incidents always brought back a lot of guilt. If it weren't for the radio playing alternative rock, silence would have plagued their car ride.

The minutes began to pass as quickly as the scenery out the window. The ride began to be less of a chore and a bit more fun for the two. Occasionally when a familiar song would play, the two would share a smile and offer some back up vocals. The redhead knew his voice wasn't fit for the song, and neither was his younger brother's, but that didn't stop them from enjoying it.

When the car finally stopped at its destination, the raven haired boy tore off his seatbelt and dashed out of the vehicle. The scent of leaves blew in the air, giving a nice sense of tranquility as he wandered off into the trees. Keith smiled widely as he watched his younger brother become so enthralled by nature. Despite not wanting to interrupt the raven haired boy's fun, Keith couldn't help but want to involve himself in his brother's fun. Getting out of the car, the young man chuckled as the wind blew a cool breeze into his face. Locks of red flowing into his field of vision and momentarily blinding him. Brushing his hair to the side the redhead stared off into the direction his younger brother had scurried off to, catching glimpses of him moving around in the shade of the trees. After limbering up, the young man dashed into the forest with excitement to catch up with his sibling, soon finding the raven-haired boy climbing a tree.

A cheeky grin spread across his face as the two met eyes, sparks flying for a second before the two began an uncanny race to the top of the tree. Even with the head start, Roy could only curse as his older brother passed him in a matter of seconds. Even with youth by his side, he was no match for Keith's strength. But the raven-haired boy did not give up hope, there was still a chance that another incident could occur and knock the redhead down a few pegs, possibly quite literally.

Before he knew it, the raven-haired boy nearly fell out from laughter from seeing the redhead hanging upside down. Of all the things that could occur, this was the least harmful yet more hilarious outcome of all. The younger sibling chuckled as he pulled himself up on a branch to be at eye level with his brother. A bright shade of red spread across the older man's face, whether it was due to the blood pooling to his head or from embarrassment was unknown.

"Uh, mah foot got stuck," Shaking his head with a chuckle, the raven-haired boy did his best to free his brother from nature's trap. Without warning, the younger brother managed to pull his leg out from the grip of the branches, causing the elder brother to tumble down a few branches. Despite the slightly rather clunky fall, the redhead managed to gain his balance in time to roll as he hit the ground. A proud grin spread across his face as he dusted himself off. "Nailed it."

Even with their race cancelled the raven-haired boy's mood did not sour, an amused smile still evident on his face as he joined his brother on the forest floor. After all, there was almost a cartoonish charm to his brother's small incidents. With a small glance at each other, the siblings silently agreed to rest and relax for a bit, as to prevent any more mishaps. Keith let out a chuckle as he watched his younger brother run into the woods again, both had very different definitions of relaxing. Shaking his head, the redhead made his way to his car. As he approached his vehicle, a shining silver object caught his eye. Getting closer to his car, Keith could make out a silver pocket watch laying on the roof of his car. Cradling the watch in his hands, Keith squinted his eyes as he took in the design.

A silver double hunter pocket watch, and a rather beautifully detailed one at that, complete with an equally visually appealing chain. The details etched into the covers displaying a pair of angelic wings creating a circle. Within that circle, the surface was polished enough to form a small mirror. Turning the watch over in his hands, blue eyes were greeted with the designs of gears inscribed into the back lid. Whether the gears were to indicate that side to be back lid or as a design choice was unknown. Just by sight alone he could tell that the watch was expensive, and probably irreplaceable. Curiosity began to flood his being as he wondered how such a valuable pocket watch ended up on his car in the middle of the woods.

Wanting to find some sort of inscription on the inside to find an owner, the redhead began to pry the front lid open. As soon as the decorative lid swung out, the young man clutched his head in pain as a splitting headache struck. A hand came up to his temple to rub away the awful sensation, his vision struggling to keep focus as he could barely make out what seemed to be chicken scratch on the inner lid. As the headache faded away, Keith sighed in relief and continued his small investigation. He arched an eyebrow as his eyes focused on the sentence engraved into the watch.

 _That which reflects what stands before it has the power to dispel deceptions, even humanity's greatest illusion._

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 **I would like to say right now I've actually have the first chapter finished, but awaiting revision at the moment. On top of that, I've already started on the second chapter. With that news out of that way, I hope you enjoyed reading the prologue.**


	2. Chapter 1: Start of a New Conquest

**The first official chapter is here.**

 **I have a confession, I actually had this one fully revised a few hours after posting the prologue but decided to space out the release. I don't have much to say at the moment other than this is the moment where things get real.**

 **Disclaimer: Atlus owns Persona, and although P5 has been delayed yet again, I have full faith that they won't disappoint us.**

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Scratching the scruff of hair on his chin in thought, the redhead stared intently at the inner workings of the pocket watch he had found. Expecting to find the entire thing to be electrically powered, he was shocked to find something far different from the social norm of engineering. Based on how polished and taken care of the watch appeared, he had assumed that it was produced rather recently and under the current technological styles for creating and mass producing these types of pocket watches. But neither gears nor electrical circuitry stared back him, just millions of strings beautifully arranged as if it were some sort of instrument rather than a device to tell time. It was as if the entire watch, inside and out, was just a piece of art that excelled far beyond just being a pretty piece of silver, he felt there had to be some meaning behind the designs.

Placing each and every piece back to it's proper spot, the young man took in a breath of air to calm his thoughts as he went back to reassembling the watch. Since finding it, Keith felt it was his duty to find the original owner. After taking it apart in hopes of finding some sort of lead as to who created it, he felt that the watch itself was far too valuable to be in his possession, as if he wasn't worthy to even hold it. A frown spread across his face, he sighed deeply as he finished the assembling, making sure to turn off the small desk lamp.

"Find what ya wanted?" The raven-haired boy asked, looking up from a book as he lay in his bed. Running a hand to push his auburn hair back, Keith sighed once again and shook his head. Putting all his equipment away, the redhead trudged to his own bed and fell upon the sheets.

"Ahm nowhere closer ta findin' the owner," He mumbled as he turned himself over and stared at the ceiling. Looking over at his brother, he saw that Roy had gone back to reading his book. After a minute or so, the raven-haired boy placed a bookmark on his current page and placed the book aside. The two shared a look before the elder brother quickly understood that it was his way of indirectly asking for him to continue on about his experience. "Ah hate this, I don't deserve somethin' that fancy lookin'."

The raven-haired boy gave his brother a questionable look, clearly not getting his reasoning as to why he didn't feel worthy enough to own it. If anything, he thought Keith was being ridiculous and overthinking this entire predicament. As far as he was concern, his brother found it, he should keep it. There was no need to stress over something so small and menial. As far as he could tell, whoever previously owned must have spent a good sum for it, meaning they probably have more than enough to replace it.

"Keith, it's a fuckin' pocket watch, nothing more than that." Upon mention of the object in question, the redhead pulled it from his pocket and cradled it in his hands. Looking at the beautiful design and material that shined even in the poor lighting of their room, Keith shook his head in disbelief. It was far from just a pocket watch.

"Can't even think of a proper way ta describe it, but Ah know fer sure it ain't jus' a pocket watch. Even then, Ahm jus' a hick." As strange as it was to admit such a thing, Keith felt that someone of his background wasn't classy enough for this kind of accessory. It was like giving a mud coated pickup truck to a billionaire, it just didn't feel or look right. A sigh escaped his lips as he heard the doorbell ring from downstairs.

The redhead jumped from his bed and made his way downstairs carefully as to not worry his family yet again. Oh his way down the stairs, he could faintly hear a conversation already underway. Turning a corner to watch his younger sister talking with a neighbor. Not wanting to interrupt, the young man decided to plop himself on the couch in the living room, glancing over every once in a while to see the flowing brown hair of his sister standing in the doorway. The light from outside nearly obscured the image of their neighbor, but based on the slightly accented voice, he knew which neighbor was at the door. Not wanting to eavesdrop, the redhead decided to search around for the remote to distract himself with some television.

Cursing under his breath, the redhead found himself tearing the cushions on the couch in an attempt to locate the remote. While focused on his search, the redhead heard the front door close. "Lara, can ya help me find the remote,"

Looking over, a small smile spread across his face as he looked at the young boy standing awkwardly beside his sibling. Feeling that the neighbor boy was a bit uneasy, Keith decided to try and cheer the kid up with a bit of mindless fun. Seeing as he took out the cushions to the couch, the redhead started to arrange them.

"Wanna make a lil' fort?" The young boy's face lit up upon hearing the question. It warmed the redhead's heart to see such a happy expression on the kid. After handing the boy a cushion, Keith couldn't help but ruffle the boy's hair. His fingers messing up stylized, light brown locks of hair. The young boy let out a giggle after venturing into the small couch fort they had created. Despite never finding the remote, the redhead was content with the events that had transpired, it was a relieving situation after dealing with the frustration brought upon him by the Pocket Watch.

"You and Marcus always look so cute playing around," Lara chimed in, although she wanted to chip in herself, she felt that the whole moment was meant purely for her brother. That, and seeing a grown man playing around with a 12 year old was better than any heartwarming cartoon. Leaving the boy to his fort, the redhead approached Lara, wanting to have things clarified on why their neighbor's child was here at the moment. "His mom needed to go on a small business trip and didn't want to leave Marcus all alone."

Keith nodded in understanding as he looked at the brunette boy playing around with the fort. Despite their short time living in the area, it was nice to see that one of their neighbors trusted them enough with to care for their child. The smile on the redhead's face quickly melted into an intrigued expression as he caught sight of the TV remote stuck in the leaves of a potted plant. A sigh escaped his throat as he chose not to question how in the world did they manage to get the remote in such a strange spot. After he retrieved the remote from the plant, Keith sat himself next to Marcus' fort and spent the remainder of the day watching television.

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The brunette man sighed deeply as he stared off into the night sky from his window. After dealing with hours of paperwork, he needed a moment to unwind. Reaching up to his breast pocket to feel for a certain package, he contemplated whether he should step outside or crack open the window. Remembering from a prior trip downstairs that a child was downstairs, he felt it best to just walk outside. Walking to the door to his room, Paul could hear the faint noise of a window shattering in another room. The elder brother shrugged his shoulders as he figured that Keith had gotten into another accident. Before he could reach the door knob, the door flung open from the outside. Hazel eyes widened in fear as he watched a person in all black rush into the room, his eyes caught the glimmer of a knife.

In an attempt to defend himself, Paul leaped back to his desk to try and fish for a weapon. But the intruder was quicker than he had anticipated. A cry of pain filled the silence as the brunette felt the cold steel pierce into his right bicep, followed by a knee into his stomach that knocked the wind out of him. The intruder backed away as Paul crumpled to the ground. As much as the elder brother wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, the pain and lack of breath caused for him to be morbidly silent. Despite losing his voice, the brunette was rationalizing the situation. Clearly this intruder only sought to wound and or cripple. His ears picked up on the sounds around him, the sound of his heartbeat nearly drowned out the rummaging.

Downstairs, the redhead had taken action rather quickly. Despite having the brunette boy cling to his leg in fear, the hick had managed to retrieve a blunt object from his tool set, a large open-end wrench. Although, a rather unconventional weapon, Keith was confident in his abilities to defend himself. Yet, he hoped that it wouldn't have to come to that. He didn't want bring Marcus into an even darker situation. Looking over to the side to see his younger sister with an uneasy expression.

"Lara, head upstairs an' hide 'n mah bedroom, call the cops, barricade the door." At least there, she would have a few weapons to defend herself with if needed, having a little brother with a knife collection finally paid off. Keith had full faith that his older brother would at least be able to put their intruder at a stalemate. And if not, then there was the possibility that his younger brother could come in and assist. Looking back down at the blunt object in his hands, the hick had a fleeting thought of helping out. A thought he quickly dismissed as he remembered his priority of safety of his guest over his reckless tactics. Picking up Marcus with his free arm, the young man decided to carry him off to a safe room. The first area coming to mind was the ground floor's bathroom, he could easily block the door off with his weight, maybe even call the cops himself.

After throwing open the bathroom door and shutting it, the redhead placed the boy down on the floor as he put his weight against the door. However, the small boy kept close the older man, gluing himself to the hick's side. Sliding his back down on the door, the redhead sat himself down and brought the young boy into his embrace. A sigh escaped his throat as he couldn't feel the familiar shape of his phone in any of his pockets. He could only hope that Lara had made it into his bedroom and called 911 on her own. Then all he would have to do is keep his weight on the door and keep the boy calm. The redhead fished in his pockets to find any sort of distraction he could use to pass the time. He let out a small chuckle as he felt the chain of the watch, it just seemed incredibly ironic at this point.

The young man opened up the watch to look at the current time, a small curse left his lips as he read the time to be 8:54. Looking at the text engraved into the lid again, the repeated the riddle in his head. Soon, he found himself dissecting the entire sentence to find out just what it meant. _'That which reflect what stands before it...'_ His eyes fell upon the mirror in the room, a small smile spread across his face as he felt accomplished for figuring out a small bit of the riddle. It made sense, mirrors reflect everything in front of it without ever missing a detail, even some details people would want to overlook in themselves. _'Humanity's greatest illusion...'_ The hick let out a small sigh as he found himself stumped by that one part alone. It sounded as if it was too subjective to give a proper answer to. What he thought to be humanity's greatest illusion might not fit what others believed it to be.

The ticking of the second hand kept beating at the same pace as his heart, almost seemingly syncing up with it on purpose. Each second seemed to take forever to reach its destination on the clock, time almost felt slower in this situation.

"Wait," The redhead said out loud, gaining the attention of his little friend. The small boy stared up at him with confused green eyes that were currently given a red tint. The look alone made the hick's heart twist, such a horrible expression to see a child have. Against his better judgment, the young man rose from his seat and approached the sink. Staring into the mirror, he could see his own reflection as well as the scenery of the bathroom in perfect detail. He didn't break his gaze away from the mirror even when the blue butterfly appeared in the reflection. His concentration did not break even when Marcus clung to his side in fear of the door being thrown open. "Time."

The word rolled off his tongue smoothly as he pulled the pocket watch up to the mirror. As crazy as it was, he felt that there was some odd connection with the watch and the mirror. A bright flash filled the room, however it did not blind them. Every color just seemed to melt away into white, with faint outlines of what seemed to be gears. Eventually all the colors returned, only to reveal an entirely different location.

"What in the world...?" Keith was taken aback by the new world they found themselves in. They found themselves in sea of sand, a few marble structures protruded out of the sand and caught their attention. Though, what really perplexed the redhead was the fact that a bright blue sky met the horizon. Wherever they had ended up, it was far from their home, and additionally, far from the danger currently there. The sound of sniffling brought the redhead out of his thoughts. The redhead bent down to meet Marcus' eye level and gave him a bright smile. "Don't worry, no matter what, Ah'll get us back home, now, ya wanna piggyback ride?"

The boy's crying ceased, but doubt still clouded his mind. He could only give a shaky nod before getting picked up. With no particular direction in mind, the hick began to walk off away from their original starting point. After a minute or so, the redhead began to notice that despite being in a desert area, the heat was not as intense as he had anticipated. However, he could not shake the feeling that something else was lurking around. Keith tried to shake off the feeling, but every step he drove him further into that paranoia.

"Hey look!" The boy eagerly pointed out a large structure in the distance. Staring in its direction long enough, the redhead took note of how it seemed to be more grounded than the ruins they had been passing by. A small grin spread across the redhead's face as he decided to sprint towards the structure. Even with the fact that they were far from home, that building itself could lead to clues on how they could return. As the hick closed the distance between him and the building, the paranoia that had been plaguing the back of his mind began to grow even further. From the corner of his eye he could see shadowy figures move around in the sand. Giving in to his fears, Keith began to push himself to run faster, feeling that the structure would be a safe zone.

He could feel Marcus holding onto him tighter, feeling just the same amount of fear Keith had. Adrenaline surged through his body as his pulse pounded faster with each passing second. Finding that they were nearing the drop of a large sand dune, Keith allowed his body to rest as he balanced himself into a sliding position. The heels of his boots kicked up plenty of dirt, which caused a cloud of dirt to follow his trail. Despite the direness of the situation, both the young boy and man felt a small rush of excitement from such a extreme activity. Even with some kind of creatures tailing him, the redhead found himself grinning as he slid down the sand. Relief washed over him when an entrance to the ruins seemed to be within ten feet of the bottom of the dune. Nearing the end of the ride, he decided to take a risky jump.

"Hold on tight, Marcus!" The young boy tightened his grip on the hick's body before feeling the wind rush in his face as the two were airborne for a short amount of time. The young man groaned as his legs collided with solid ground as opposed to the sand they had trekked through. With a solid floor under his feet, the traction allowed him bolt away from the entrance. The redhead sighed in relief as he looked back at the entrance for a moment, the creatures that he had caught glimpses of fully revealed themselves outside of the building. However, they showed no attempts in following them inside.

"What are those...?" The young boy asked as he shivered at the sight of the twisted black amalgamations, what caught his eye was the odd looking masks that each seem to wear. Getting a closer look, it seemed as if there was some kind of barrier that kept the creatures from entering the structure. With that in mind, the hick decided that it was safe for them to rest. As much as Keith wanted to answer the question, he was just as clueless as the young boy. The creatures looked like they were pulled straight from a madman's nightmares.

"It don't matter what they are, we still need ta get home somehow." Turning away from their point of entry, the young man started walking around the structure, trying to familiarize himself with the setting as well as find any clues as to leave this world. Looking at the interior of the building, he found that the walls seemed to curve in a circle. With that knowledge, he began to wonder just what was in the center of this structure. If the building itself was able to block out the creatures from entering, then perhaps something important was inside. After taking a few turns through lengthy halls, the two found themselves stepping into a coliseum like area. Both nearly jumped out of their skin when a deep voice called out to them.

"LAS MICH IN RUH!" Despite being yelled at, the young man searched the area to find the source. Plain as day, a man sat at the center of the open arena, his gaze nearly burned a hole through his being. Keith sighed as he could hear the young boy beginning to whimper, even if either couldn't understand, they wear clearly being yelled at. Against his better judgment, the young man decided to put Marcus down and gave him a pat on his head.

"Ahm gonna try talkin' ta this guy, stay right 'ere, Ah'll be right back." Tears began pouring down the boy's face as he looked up at the redhead, said older man felt the strings of his heart being tugged rather hard at the sight of the crying boy.

"Don't... M-mom said never to talk to strangers..." It was sound reasoning, but given the circumstances of the situation the young man had no choice. Aside from the monsters, this man was the only thing they had come across this entire time. Even if the man spoke an entirely different language, there had to be some way he could communicate with him.

"Marcus, that's true in alotta cases, but sometimes ya gotta ask strangers fer help," The redhead forced a smile as he gave the little boy a large hug. The young man gave reassuring pats as he finished his statement. "An' sometimes strangers can become friends." Though he personally doubted the latter detail in this case, he still wanted to brighten Marcus' mood in anyway he could. Taking in a deep breath, the redhead broke away from the hug and made his way towards the man.

When Keith was within five feet of the man, he could make out more details on him. His clothing looked old and tattered, the colors seemingly faded away with time, the dirt that clung to it gave the illusion of lively color. The man wore no shoes, and on top of that, his left leg seemed to be chained to the ground. Seeing that, Keith began to wonder if the man had been imprisoned here. If so, the gift of freedom might help spin the wheels of cooperation. The man glared up at redhead, amber eyes full of disdain. The intense stare was enough to cause the young man to flinch slightly.

"Uh... 'scuse me, but can yew 'plain where we are?" Out of nervous habit, Keith reached up to scratch the side of his head as he waited for a response of any kind. The chained man held his face as he let out an annoyed growl. The hand ventured further up to run through his copper locks of hair, revealing his face to the young man again.

"So ein mist... I'm speaking to an uncultured limey," Although, Keith was relieved greatly to hear English reach his ears, there was no kidding that there was hostility in the man's voice. The young man shrugged his shoulders slightly as he tried to steel himself. If anything, the chained man before him was far more frightening than the creatures that struggled to get inside this building. The rattling of the chains caught his attention for a moment, looking down, he could see the other man beginning to get up from his seated position. The copper-haired man stood at least two inches taller than him, the size difference made him appear a bit more menacing. "I don't understand how you managed to enter here without any prior knowledge of this realm, but I've never understood humans in the first place."

Every accented word hit his ears with a small amount of venom, with everything that had happened, the redhead felt that everything was hopeless. Clearly the only other person they had encountered in this area did not want their company and seemed to abhor their very existence. Looking over his shoulder, the young man spotted Marcus staring with wide eyes at the two men. Keith wanted desperately to fall over and cry, but he needed to stay strong as to not destroy the young boy's hopes.

"Ahm sorry, sir... But we really wanna leave this place, please, Ah'll do anythin' for yer help." The young man forced his nerves to remain calm as he waited for a response from the copper-haired man. The larger man let out a heavy sigh as he folded his arms into each other and closed his eyes. Silence quickly filled the area, though the thick tension in the air could drown out any other sounds. Before Keith could find his voice to beg for the man's help, the chained man gasped sharply, his train of thought abandoned and filled with frustration. Seeing the shift in facial expressions, the redhead felt a cold sweat run through his body as he could hear strange cries in the distance.

Instincts soon took over the redhead's movements. Dashing away from the chained man, Keith ran towards the young boy. His eyes widening as he caught glimpses of the creatures swarming into the open area. Time seemed to slow down as the terrified expression on Marcus' face seemed to remain frozen. He could only hope he could make it to the young boy in time to at least start running again. Knowing full well that he shouldn't run in a straight path, the redhead made a split second decision to swerve his direction in order to keep the momentum he had gained. He was conflicted about the boy's current fear paralysis, it allowed for him to plan things more easily, yet he knew it was not a good feeling for the boy especially after all that had happened. Shaking his head as he ran, Keith tried to keep his mind clear of any doubts as he neared the young boy. Just as the young man managed to pick up the brunette boy, what felt like a truck hitting his back set him hurtling forward. The redhead did his best to absorb most of the blows from skidding across the floor, but the was no mistaking that the two had gained a few injuries from it.

Based on the stinging pain he had felt when standing back up, the young man guessed at least two cracked ribs with various bruises. The creatures began to circle around him, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the chained man trying to reach their side, but kept back due to the shackled leg. The young man cursed under his breath as he reached into his pocket for his wrench, another string of curses escaped his mouth as all he could feel was the watch. He let out a sharp gasp as he felt a migraine begin to hit.

 _"I am thou,"_

The redhead's breathing hitched slightly as he couldn't believe the words that echoed throughout his mind. Still holding onto the young boy, Keith clutched his head as the deep voice continued to boom from deep inside his being.

 _"Thou art I, from the sea of thy soul, I come."_

The migraine began to subside, only to be replaced with a glowing blue light that surrounded him. The creatures attempted to lunge at him, only to cower away from the light. A small amount of relief washed over the man, however he was startled to hear the voice continue on.

 _"Speak of conquest and demonstrate it, with the power of the King of Conquerors, we shall seek glory beyond the horizon!"_

At the moment, the redhead felt as if he was a spectator to his own life. His body began to move on its own, retrieving the watch from his own pocket and presenting it before him. The blue light began to radiate even brighter than before, despite the shocking turn of events his mind remained clear and calm. Clear blue eyes narrowed down at the creatures before him, newfound confidence beginning to flood his entire being even as he could not control himself at that moment.

"Per-so-na!" After the words had left his lips the sound of glass softly shattering filled their ears, both the redhead and young boy stared in amazement as a phantasmal chariot emerged from the watch's glow. The chariot itself ran over one of the creatures causing a small splash of strange black, almost blood like, gunk to scatter around. The chariot itself faded away only for a large figure to stand in it's place. The figure had it's back towards the young man, yet it was clear that he was much larger than the chained man, both in height and in bulk. A large red cape lined with crème fur billowed in the breeze as the figure turned around to face the few remaining creatures. A large sword holstered to its side with the leather armor protecting it's body. With his eyes venturing up further, the young man found himself staring in astonishment at the slicked back auburn red hair.

It was clear that the it was a male warrior, and said warrior held a small resemblance to himself. It baffled the redhead for a moment until a name suddenly flashed in his head. "Alexander!" Upon hearing his name being called out, the warrior flashed the redhead a wide grin, yet his eyes were kept shut, before moving in to assault the creatures that still plagued the area. From one swing of the sword, Alexander managed to Cleave one vertically in half, while causing a bit of a small tremor from his blade connecting to the ground. Catching on to its inevitable doom, the last remaining creature began to slip away from the area. Although, its retreat seemed good at the moment, Keith growled slightly as he wanted to see it destroyed for putting him and Marcus through so much.

Feeling Keith's desire to slay the cowering monster, the warrior dashed in one final time and took the beast into his hand. Tightening his grip on the creature, a squishing sound filled the area as well as a spray of black gunk from the final blow. With his job done, Alexander glowed the same blue from before, eventually fading away from the battlefield. The redhead felt his heart skip a few beats as he fell back on the ground, accidentally dropping Marcus on his way down. His vision blurred slightly as he stared up at the sky, he could feel his mind slipping into unconsciousness, but knew that it was unwise to fall asleep in such a bizarre and dangerous world.

The last thing he could remember before he blacked out was the concerned look on the boy's face as well as his last thoughts drifting to Alexander. _'Thank yew...'_ The redhead felt a genuine smile spread across his face just before his eyes shut tightly as he felt sleep hit him.

* * *

 **And that ends Keith's awakening to his Persona. Huh, thought I would have something to say here, but I don't. Hope you enjoyed the first official chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2: The Aftermath

**Been a while since I've updated anything, I blame Devil Survivor, Persona 5, and practicing Voice Acting. Cause, wow, (don't worry, no spoilers) P5 has really stepped up and blown the others out of the water. However, with this story, I still want to have fun and create something that can measure up to the main Persona games. Regardless, please enjoy the new chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: If I could, I would want to be an intern at ATLUS's North American Team. I still wouldn't own the rights to Persona, but I can say I work for it.**

* * *

The redhead gasped sharply as he opened his eyes. His breathing became sharp as he expected to see a blue sky and possibly even a concerned young boy, but he was only met with a terrifying sight. Seated at a strange looking desk was a man that appeared more nose than face. Yet it was not the most off putting detail about him, his eyes seemed to bulge out of his sockets while eerily bloodshot, a crooked grin managed to pull everything together to paint a scary image. Being so focused on the man's appearance, Keith nearly failed to notice the completely new area he was in.

"There's no need to be alarmed, my dear guest, I only seek to aid you in your upcoming trials." The redhead was taken back by how formal the man sounded, on top of that, the voice was a lot more smoother than he had anticipated. Paying more attention to the man's attire, he noticed that he was sharply dressed.

"Oh, uh... Sorry 'bout that, sir." Feeling embarrassed over his rude reaction, the young man avoided eye contact for a moment. During which, he began noticing the blue themed room he was currently in. The walls of this room were lined with many pistons and machinery that silently performed their functions. Upon hearing the sound of snapping fingers, Keith returned his attention back to the man at the desk. The desk now filled with strange looking cards.

"I feel I should apologize as well for forgetting my manners, I am Igor, the master of this Velvet Room," The man turned over a card to reveal an image, at first it was difficult for the young man to make out the picture on the card, yet he could make out a man sitting upside down in some sort of carriage. Keith couldn't help but turn his head in confusion as he was unfamiliar with what exactly was going on. Seeing the confused expression plastered all over his guest's face, the impish-looking man decided to give a small briefing. "I see that you are unfamiliar with Tarot Readings, worry not for I shall explain as much as I am allowed to,"

A warm smile spread across the young man's face as he nodded his head as he breathed a quick 'thank you,'. "There are 22 Major Arcana in a Tarot Deck, all of which have their meanings with vast interpretations which help with fortune telling. It is my job to help guide you through your fate." Igor remained as stoic as he possibly could as he gestured to the card he had flipped over. The redhead studied the design of the card and realized that it was off. Despite not having a proper reference to go off from, he could make out that the roman numeral for seven was upside down. Though he had to wonder exactly what it meant.

"Ah know that yer doin' yur job an' all, but are ya sure Ahm worth all this?" The young man avoided eye contact again from Igor, this time out of sheer doubt of his own ability. Although, there was the fact that he had managed to summon something to protect himself, he couldn't help but see it as his own dumb luck saving him yet again.

"Perhaps the rest of your fortune can help open your eyes to your own potential. But before I continue any further, might I catch the name of my new guest?" Igor extended a hand towards the redhead as if asking for an ID, however given the medium gap between them it was pure body language to punctuate his question. The young man felt uneasy, as if sharing his name with this stranger spelt certain doom in his future, however there didn't seem to be any choice in the matter. Checking around the area, the redhead scanned for a possible way out of this strange place. Upon looking behind him, the young man was greeted with a stern look from what looked to be an older man. The stare from his amber orbs sent chills up his spine, porcelain white skin added to the inhuman feeling that this man exuded.

"Our master asked for your name, the least you can do is answer him." The young man yelped slightly as he brought his attention back to the impish man, bowing as he faced him while a long string of apologies left his lips. The sound of a feminine giggle brought him out of his apologetic scene, turning his head to his right, he found that an older looking woman found his moment to be rather funny. Keith heaved out a sigh as he attempted to regain his composure and stared at Igor as he properly introduced himself.

"Mah name's Keith Smith," Despite how crazy this whole scenario had been, the redhead was still able to give out a genuine smile. Even with all the doubt that was clouding his mind, it was nice to see that he had some potential purpose. "It's nice ta meet yew, Igor."

"Likewise," Though, it was rather faint to detect, the young man could make out that the impish man's smile grew a bit wider. Continuing on with the fortune, Igor flipped over two more cards from the deck. With gloved hands, he arranged the flipped cards in the order he had turned them over. The upside down card being placed on the far left, followed by a what looked to be a sword placed into a wheel marked by the roman numeral X, and ended on an easy identifiable sun. "I have specifically chosen to tell your Past, Present and Future. In hopes that I could understand my guest a bit better."

The redhead nodded his head in understanding, his eyes returning to the three cards before him. As he waited for more of an explanation, the sound of footsteps caught his attention. The two that had stood behind his chair began to make their way forward to join Igor's side. The man taking the left while the woman placed herself on the right. "A reverse Chariot, seems as though someone has been lacking control in their life. Or rather you couldn't find your purpose."

The redhead flinched slightly as the words reached his ears. Despite having his skepticism about fortune telling as a whole, he couldn't deny that the card's meaning had some truth to it. Not waiting for a response, Igor continued on with the reading with a gesture to the wheel card. "But your present has been filled with Fortune, I take it Lady Luck is always on your side?"

"Heh, yeah... She tends ta get me out of tight spots, but Ah know Ah shouldn't rely on her too much." A smile spread across his face as he remembered all of his dumb luck. Even with all the accidents he found himself in, there's always been the one factor that prevents it from being an entire disaster. His eyes fell down to his arms that rested in his lap, the sight of a few faded lines caused memories to flood his mind.

"Finally, we have an upright Sun, a rather positive sign, however I believe you would need to work hard for that positivity," With the final card read, Igor waved his hand above all the cards, causing them to dissipate into nothingness. Soon after, the man snapped his fingers to reveal a key to the young man. "Our time is nearly up, but as for someone that has signed a contract you will need this key in order to return to this Velvet Room."

Keith stared at the key in amazement as he took the key into his hands. However, shock spread through him as he finally registered Igor's last sentence. He had thought that the crazy dream the night before was just a simple dream. Regret washed over him as he realized that by signing that contract he had unknowingly brought all this upon himself. Sensing his distress, Igor decided to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Don't be so troubled, you are destined to do great things, especially for someone who has awakened their own Persona."

"Ya mean Alexander...?" Just as the redhead spoke of the name, the familiar sound of soft shattering filled his ears as a card floated before him. A chuckle emerged from the young man's throat as he stared at the card.

"Alexander the Great, said to be the King of Conquerors, I see his Arcana is represented by-" A grin spread across Keith's face as he felt he knew the next word to Igor's sentence.

"Chariot!" The redhead gleefully interjected, recalling the chariot that preluded Alexander's arrival. A long awkward silence followed Keith's interruption, causing the young man to blush in embarrassment.

"... Fool." Igor continued, the smile on the redhead faded away as the word hit his ears.

"Well, there's no need ta call me names..." Waving his hand dismissively, Igor began to explain that he was referring to Alexander's Arcana and not slinging an insult. The smile returned to the young man's face as he laughed at the misunderstanding. Looking over, the redhead could see the woman share in his laughter while the man opposite to her remained stoic. Though the elder man seemed rather intimidating with his serious expression, the young man could not sense anything bad from him.

"You see, the Fool Arcana is represented by the number Zero, it marks the beginning and end, giving an endless amount of possibilities," Igor started as the card began to spin on a corner in front of Keith. The image of a jester and a dog meeting his sight on every revolution. Each time he was met with the image, he could feel a small warmth fill him, mostly due to the fact that the card represented Alexander. "With the Fool Arcana, you are gifted with the power of the Wild Card, capable of using multiple Personas, you'll be able to adapt to any situation you see fit."

"Personas..." Although, the word was not unheard of to the redhead, the meaning of it began to confuse him. He could understand how Alexander was his own Persona given their similarities in appearance, yet from what he could tell from Igor's last explanation, he would be able to use others. He couldn't understand why he would bother switching to another when he had one solely for his own.

"There are many who wish they had the power you posses, and quite possibly some will envy it. But know that with this power, you have the capability to create your own fate," With that said, Keith felt his eyelids suddenly get heavy. Upon closing them, he could feel as if he was drifting back into sleep. The last thing he could remember hearing was Igor's voice in the back of his head. "I look forward to meeting you again."

* * *

A string of curses slipped through the brunette man's throat as he managed to push himself off the ground. Propping himself against the wall, Paul focused his attention to the pain in his right arm. His fingers gripped around his upper bicep, carefully placing themselves around the knife that protruded from his arm. The brunette man did his best to keep his breathing under control as well as keep his mind calm for what was to come. Before continuing on, Paul reached around for a book. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked down upon the cover of a hardback novel over 400 pages long. Taking a deep breath, the eldest brother placed the book in his mouth and bit down hard on the cover. His uninjured hand reaching of the grip the knife, the tenderness of the wound causing a small amount of pain to jolt throughout his body at the slightest touch. Tears pricked his eyes as he tightened his grip on the handle, his teeth bit harder on the cover as he began to pull the weapon out of his arm as his pain filled shouts remained muffled.

Even when the knife glided out of his arm, the wound itself began to burn as it remained exposed. Blood began to pour out of the wound, soaking the fabric of his shirt as he desperately tried to keep the blood loss at a minimum. Shedding his shirt to assess the damage, the brunette stared at how much blood had already seeped out of his wound. Ripping apart the shirt he had worn, Paul did his best to fashion himself a bandage to tighten around the wound. But he saw it as only a temporary fix, he knew eventually that the bandage would need to be replaced in order to keep from getting infected. yet that wasn't a priority at the moment.

Getting up from his seated position, the brunette made his way to a cabinet, fishing around for a weapon before making his way out the room. A scowl formed on his face as he shouldered a hunting rifle on his way out of the room. His ears picked up the sounds of a struggle going on in his brothers' room, fearing the worst Paul began to rush. Upon entering the bedroom, the brunette was greeted with the sight of his attacker desperately trying to choke his younger sister. He held her from behind with an arm wrapped around her neck while the other tried to keep Lara's right arm behind her in an attempt to get her to submit. The robber was too focused on keeping the girl under control to even notice Paul had entered the scene.

Consumed with anger, the brunette man took the rifle in his left hand and aimed it skyward. Pulling the trigger, the sound of the gunshot caused for both the struggle to cease.

"Let her go or I'm gonna return your knife with a few bullets free of charge!" The robber shivered in fear at the sight of the gun, however, his grip on Lara remained firm out of shock. Seeing that the attacker was showing no signs of letting go, Paul made his way to the two with the rifle aimed at the man. Before he could close the distance, Lara knocked her head back in order to slam the back of her skull into the robber's nose. Recoiling back from the blow to the nose, the brunette girl was released from his grip. Lara crumpled to the floor gasping for air, though her head was sore from the blow, she was thankful that it had worked. Given that the intruder was stunned momentarily, the elder brother made his way over to the him and placed the rifle directly under his jaw. The heat from the barrel's previous fire caused the robber to flinch slightly but keep sudden movements at a minimum.

Despite not ever having the intention to even harm the man before him, Paul did feel satisfaction from having him on the ropes. Looking over his shoulder for a moment, he could see his sister finally standing on her feet, though still having a bit of a coughing fit. The redness from before now only shaded her face in a light pink, yet it seemed to compliment the angry expression. Before the brunette man could ask for her to call the police the young woman closed the distance between her and the man that nearly choked her.

Without warning, the young woman drove her knee into the man's gut. The man crumbled to the floor from the blow, gasping for air. Paul let out a sigh as he shouldered his weapon for the moment while he stared at his furious sister. After a moment of silence, or as silent as a man wheezing can get, Lara took in a deep breath and left the room to call the authorities. The brunette man swore under his breath as he retrieved a small box from his torn shirt pocket, opening the package up and promptly placing a cigarette in his mouth as he fumbled for his lighter.

All that needed to be done was to keep the intruder under his watch while he waited for the authorities to take him, even then, he might as well take as much stress off of his shoulders as he can. As he let out a deep exhale, Paul could hear someone coming up the stairs however, the familiar voice of his younger sister put him at ease.

"Paul, have you seen Roy?"

* * *

Tears threatened to spill out from the corners of the young boy's green eyes as he attempted to shake the redhead awake. Marcus had feared the worst, that the man laying before him would never wake to assure him that things were going to be fine, and yet it did nothing to stop him from holding onto the foolish idea that Keith could be woken up if he simply pestered him enough.

"Child, that is enough," Although the chained man had tried to keep his voice level and calm as to not spook the young boy, the deepness of his voice still caused Marcus to flinch in fear. The boy refused to turn around, he was already intimidated by the man's voice, he did not want to be under his watchful glare as well. "Forgive me, I do not mean any harm... At least not anymore, but I do require some assistance."

The sounds of the chain rattling caught the young boy's attention, upon turning around, he was faced with the imprisoned man holding the chain links in his hands. Confused, the young boy focused on how no matter the tension it was put under, the chains showed no signs of ever breaking. After several demonstrations, from his isolated spot, the amber eyed man presented the chain to Marcus.

"What...?" The young boy stared in disbelief, considering that the chained man had failed to break his own chains there absolutely was no way a small boy would be able to. However, the man looked up at him with eyes pleading for assistance, even with the sharpness in his eyes there was a small amount of shine that displayed genuine need. The young boy took a shaky step towards the man before cowering away, tripping over the unconscious man's body. Bumping his head against the ground, tears began to well up again as the throbbing pain began to set in. Despite the rough beating of his heart loud in his ears, he could make out the rustling of the chains. Upon getting back up, the brunette boy began to rub the back of his own head. As he looked back at the man, the amber eyed man stood up, a concerned look spread across his face.

"I promise you that I will neither hurt nor leave you here alone, I just ask that you pull on my chain," In the back of his mind, Marcus kept trying to rationalize that he shouldn't interact with a stranger. Even with that nagging feeling on his conscious, he found himself stepping closer to the man. Marcus attempted to gulp down the lump in his throat as he reached over to take the chain in his own small hands. A faint smile spread across the copper-haired man's face as he watched the young boy yank on the chain.

With as much strength as Marcus could muster, he was taken back by the fact the chain instantly snapped apart from his effort. A small portion of the chain remained on the shackle of the man's leg, however, it did not matter given he could now move freely without being restricted. The remainder of the chain began to burn away with a blue flame, causing the young boy to drop the link and step away from it. The shadow of the large man loomed over the boy, the young man flinched slightly when the man gave the child a pat on his head. "Viele übersetzte Beispielsätze mit,"

Even with the return of the foreign language, Marcus could tell that it was a phrase of some sort of gratitude. The small smile on the amber-eyed man's face told him that much. Before the boy could even blink, the smile quickly vanished as the man reared his head to the side as if he had heard something. "Forgive me, I must attend to something real quick."

As the large man began to walk off, he could feel a weight cling to his leg. The sound of short gasps between sobbing reached his ears as he looked down. "D-don't leave, please!" As much as he could see the terror in Marcus' face from being left alone, he had no intention of taking him along during this deed. The man ran a hand through his copper locks before explaining that he had no intention of leaving him for long, just that he needed a few minutes to take care of a deed.

The boy nodded as he turned his attention back to his earlier concern, though relief washed over him as he could make out signs of stirring. As Keith slowly awoke, the young boy rushed to his side, ready to cling to him for safety. The redhead yawned out loud casually before the reality of their situation began to crash back on his shoulders. Already feeling a much different weight latch onto his arm, the young man couldn't help but crack a small smile to learn that they were at least in one piece.

Before Keith could get up, a large rumbling caught their attention. What sounded like crumbling rock immediately reached their ears, upon staring in the direction of the source of the noise, the two could make out a small amount of dust clearing out in the air. Instinctively, the young man reached into his pocket, fearing that another group of creatures would swarm in. But would he be able to summon Alexander again? Shaking his head, the redhead decided to empty that thought out of his mind. In the event more of those monsters attacked, he didn't want to feel helpless, he wanted to believe that he could fight back a second time. He wanted to believe that the reason they survived the first wave wasn't a fluke.

The familiar blue glow began to surround him, however, the power faded away as relief washed over him. The amber-eyed man made his way through one of the closest entrances, dusting himself off as he returned to the two. For a moment, Keith had completely forgotten that the man was imprisoned the last time he was conscious. However, he chose not to question it for now. The amber-eyed man sat himself in front of the redhead and gave a small smile to the brunette child.

"There is no need to worry of the Shadows returning, I've... 'Patched' up the hole in the defenses." The man's choice of words did raise a few questions, however, there were far better things to ask about rather than his method of work.

"Well, m'k, but uh," The redhead paused as he realized the awkward situation the danger had put him in. "Well damn, Ah dun even know yer name..."

The amber-eyed man blinked twice before finding the proper way to decipher Keith's way of speaking. After a moment, he held his chin in thought as he lamented on the embarrassing detail. Before he could explain his peculiar predicament, the redhead introduced himself, as well as the young boy. The redhead held out his hand to give him a handshake, however the amber-eyed man had no clue how to respond.

"My apologies, I've spent so much time here, I can't seem to even recall my own name." Keith began to look more closely at the man before him, despite the bags under his eyes, there didn't seemed to be a single wrinkle on his face to suggest decades of solitude. However, the scruff of some facial hair did accent his jawline. Yet, it made no sense how a middle age forgot his own name.

"Then, ya want us ta give ya one?" The redhead smiled, he wanted to at least thank the man personally with the use of a name. The amber-eyed man nodded his head, although, he was a bit unsure about allowing the two strangers to grant him a new name. As much as it wounded his pride to do so, he had trust that they would have a suitable name for him. The redhead nudged the brunette boy slightly, asking him if he wanted the lead on dubbing a name for their new friend. Marcus stared off in the distance for a moment before setting his eyes on the shackled man.

"Drake." Keith could feel a smile spread across his face, he gave the young boy a pat on the back as he looked at the man to see his reaction. The man remained stoic, however, a small gleam in his eyes suggested that he was fond of the name.

"Thank you again, child," The newly named man took in a deep breath, contemplating how he would go about in assisting the humans in returning to their home. Clearing his throat for a moment, Drake stared at the redhead, looking him up and down before proposing a question. "Do you have any idea how you managed to end up in this realm?"

The young man blinked for a moment as his hand instinctively fell upon his pocket, cradling the pocket watch through the fabric of his jeans. With Igor's talk about destiny still fresh in his mind, Keith began to wonder if he was a victim to Fate's divine plan or if he put himself through all this trouble on his own accord. Shaking his head, the redhead began to brief Drake on the important details that went on. Even going as far as to present the watch to the older looking man.

"Ahm not sure how the hell this thing works..." The amber-eyed man began to examine the watch in his own hands, after visually analyzing it he began to hold it close to his ear, as if listening for probably more than just the idle ticks. A small spark of surprise flashed across the man's face, however it was soon to be replaced by a look of understanding. Eventually he returned the watch and stood back up, the sounds of his shackles rattling slightly from his sudden movements.

"All we must do is find a mirror," Before the two could question how in the world, or in this world, would they be able to find one, a small amused grin spread across Drake's face as he began to tap his foot on several places on the ground. Marcus stared in confusion as he couldn't understand what the older man was planning to do, meanwhile the redhead caught on a minute in. After a bit of searching, Drake began to lift open a hidden cellar door and quickly disappeared into it. The young boy rushed over to the hole only to fall back in surprise when the amber-eyed man jumped back out. Looking down the hole, Marcus felt a shiver go down his spine as he saw there were no stairs at all for the man to have used. Seeing as there was no more reason to dwell near the hole, the young boy returned back to the comfort of his friend's side.

With that aside, Drake propped up a simple mirror. The redhead stared at his own reflection and grimaced slightly, no matter how many times he had been beaten around by who knows what, he could never get past seeing the aftermath. There was just something about seeing himself in a horrible condition that always bothered him. Despite that, he continued to stare into the reflection, paying more attention to the butterfly that continued to reveal itself each time he gazed upon a mirror.

"Simply present your watch to the mirror as you think about your home, you'll soon find yourself there," Drake explained as he stood by the mirror, the expression on his face remaining stoic as before. "However... As much as I know it'll trouble you, I do wish for you to return here, there are some matters I wish to discuss with you."

"Um... I'm not sure I'll have the time." Keith simply replied, hoping that it would be enough to weasel out of returning to such a dangerous world. Another bemused smile spread across the amber-eyed man's face as he formed his rebuttal.

"An hour in this realm equates to two measly minutes in yours. Whenever you can, please return. Auf wiedersehen." Drake seemed to salute to the two to accent that he was done discussing, at least at the moment. The two companions nodded in his direction and said their own goodbyes as the redhead presented the watch to the mirror. The familiar sensation returned as the colors of the area began to melt away, including the image of the amber-eyed man. It was rather unsettling to see him fade into white, however, it mattered little considering that it was only a visual effect. When the colors of the bathroom began to flood in, the redhead sighed in relief before falling flat on his rear.

"Marcus... Don't breathe a word 'bout what jus' happened, ain't no one gunna believe us."

* * *

 **I don't have much to say at the moment other than writing out this story has been a dream come true. I hope that you all had enjoyed it.**


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